UP Health System – Marquette Welcomes Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist and Upper Michigan Native Jenna Racine, MD

The UP Health System – Marquette Specialty Clinic is proud to welcome Jenna Racine, MD, to its team of providers in partnership with Michigan Medicine (University of Michigan). Board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Dr. Racine offers specialized consultation and care for individuals and families experiencing high-risk pregnancy.

Dr. Racine completed her Doctorate in Medicine from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, where she spent two years at UP Health System – Marquette through the rural physician track. She went on to complete her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology with the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, followed by her Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship at the University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine and Public Health. Prior to joining UP Health System, she practiced maternal-fetal medicine in Madison, WI, at both Meriter Hospital and UW Hospital and Clinics. 

A native of Ishpeming, MI, Dr. Racine is thrilled to be back living and providing care to families in the community that raised her. “For all the years I have been away for medical school and training, the Upper Peninsula (UP) has always held a special place in my heart. It’s the best place to raise a family, and being close to family has become a top priority for me,” she said. “When the opportunity arose to work as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in the UP, I knew I had to take the job.”

As a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, Dr. Racine and her team of Michigan Medicine-trained ultrasound techs offer high-level ultrasound readings—with same-day results—that provide more detail than traditional ultrasounds, allowing for more accurate diagnosis and management of high-risk pregnancies. Examples of high-risk pregnancies include:

• Mothers with chronic health issues that put them at risk and can affect the growth/health of the baby (diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney/heart disease, etc.)
• Mothers over the age of 35
• Pregnancy-related health issues (pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, cervical insufficiency, placental abnormalities)
• Fetal birth defects or chromosomal abnormalities
• Managing a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, etc.)

Dr. Racine and her team also help families with pre-conceptual counseling, as well as genetic testing and amniocentesis, which is a procedure performed during pregnancy to obtain amniotic fluid to test for chromosomal abnormalities and fetal infections.

“The addition of Dr. Racine to our team of providers at UP Health System is a game-changer for families across the Upper Peninsula,” said Gar Atchison, market president, UP Health System, and chief executive officer, UP Health System – Marquette. “With her here, more women experiencing high-risk pregnancy can receive all their care in one place—from preconception counseling to routine OB\GYN care, to our state-of-the-art Family Birthing Center and the region’s only neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)—without having to leave the Upper Peninsula.”

“Previously, this type of care was extremely limited or done via telehealth in the UP, and many mothers had no choice but to seek care downstate or even out of state, and were oftentimes separated from their babies needing NICU care post-birth,” said Dr. Racine. “While that still may happen in extreme occasions, together, we’ll be able to provide more comprehensive care for families. Being from here, I understand the challenges of accessing subspecialty healthcare and I hope to provide high-risk pregnancy care close to home to women across the UP for generations to come.”

In addition to maternal-fetal medicine, the Specialty Clinic at UP Health System – Marquette provides a wide array of services to infants, children, adolescents, and some adults with medically complex conditions in the areas of cardiology, genetics, hemophilia, diabetes, endocrinology, neurology, orthopedics, and more. Their goal is to provide the highest quality service to patients and families with special needs and to be a local resource for healthcare providers throughout the region, utilizing the expertise of local providers as well as bringing subspecialty experts from other institutions to provide outstanding services close to home.

Patients interested in learning more about scheduling an appointment with Dr. Racine can call 906.449.4880. A referral from a primary care or OB/GYN provider is required. To learn more about the Specialty Clinic and Women’s Health Services, visit UPHealthSystem.com.